Want to improve your life? Express thanks and mean it. Of course people appreciate when others show gratitude to them, but when you acknowledge your own gratitude toward people, opportunities, and even your own health, this positive attitude can create a positive impact on your life perspective.
- It has a ripple effect. Those who recognize the large and small benefits in their life end up happier and more satisfied with their lives — they even sleep better and have stronger immune systems. Think of a person you know who constantly complains about everything, whether justified or not, who never sees the numerous gifts they have in their life. What’s your immediate reaction when thinking of that person? You probably prefer not to be around them because they have such a negative outlook. Our emotions have an effect on our brains and bodies. The more grateful you are for what you have and for what others do for you, the more fulfilled your life will seem and the more you will seek out opportunities to express gratitude.
- Anyone can practice it. Gratitude may have a basis in religion, but you don’t have to follow a particular faith to express and acknowledge gratitude. Who wouldn’t want to do something that makes you feel happier and healthier, encourages you to exercise more, improves relationships, and can even boost your career? Even after a challenging day, you can find something to be grateful for. It may be as simple as enjoying the time walking to your car at the end of that long day or settling into a cozy bed for some much-needed sleep. Maybe on that long drive home, you heard a song that made you smile.
- How to improve your own sense of gratitude. At the end of the day, you may benefit from writing down in a journal three things for which you feel grateful, large or small. Or you may slow down for thirty seconds and acknowledge the simple act of someone opening a door for you or letting you into a long line of traffic so you don’t have to wait. Before you know it, you’ll recognize the large and small moments more and more often and want to create more of them for others.
Showing gratitude not only benefits others, it benefits you. For more tips on health and wellness, read our related blog posts or reach our to our staffing team at Medical Professionals.
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